Before the War
by reindeerguardian
Summary: Before the war he was happy. He had everything any man could want. Before the war she had her mother. But after the war they had each other, and that's all that really mattered.
1. Chapter 1

Before the War

Betty laughed as Simon led her through the woods, covering her eyes with his hands, obscuring her glasses.

"Where are we going, Simon?" she inquired with a laugh as they brushed past various plant life.

"Somewhere special," he answered, quickly adding, "and no peeking!" they walked on for a few more moments, giggling as they continued on. Suddenly, Simon stopped.

"You can look now." He said softly, taking his hands off of her eyes. She adjusted her glasses.

They were in a clearing that opened up into a meadow, yellow wildflowers grew all about. The sun set on the horizon, turning the sky all shades of pink, purple, and orange.

"It's gorgoues." She breathed in wonder. He smiled.

"There's…something else." He pulled a small box out of pocket, opened it, and dropped to one knee. She gasped as she realized what he was doing.

"Betty, my princess, I love you and I want to keep loving you for the rest of my life. I never deserved to have someone like you in my arms, and yet here you stand. So I ask you, will you marry me?"

"Oh Simon, of course I'll marry you!" she cried, as they embraced. He put the ring on her finger. They kissed.

"Are you guys getting married?" a small voice questioned from behind. They turned from each other to focus on a little girl. Probably about six or seven with pointed ears.. She wore a pair of overalls.

"Um, yes we are." Betty said smiling at her Fiancé. The child giggled.

"are ya' gonna have any kids?" Betty blushed. Simon only stood there, unsure how to answer this.

"…um…"

"My momma has one kid. That's me, Marceline." She said, indicating to herself. "And I have Hambo, he's such a trouble maker." She held up some kind of stuffed animal. "He's always doing something stupid to get me in trouble. Last week he took the family axe and used it to cut down old man Jenkins food shelter." She stopped to scold her toy, shaking a finger at him like a mother would a child.

"MARCELINE!" came a gruff voice beyond the hill. She looked back.

"That's my dad." She said. "He can't go out in the daytime, so he told me to get some red for my mom. Gotta go before he gets too mad." And with that, she ran off down the hill, dragging Hambo behind her.

"So, how many kids do you want to have?" Simon inquired. She laughed.

"One step at a time Romeo. First comes marriage."

_Six months later…_

One month to the wedding. And Betty was pregnant.

"Hey Simon, you know what we should do today?"

"What?" he asked with a yawn. He'd just gotten back from Scandinavia, to pick some item. He'd promised to show her later.

"We should go to the mall!" Simon groaned inwardly. But at least he was with Betty, and that's all that mattered.

They had fun that day. They went shopping, shared a soda, watched a romantic movie, Simon did everything he could to make her laugh.

"Oh, Simon, let's buy baby Gunter this outfit!" she said happily, holding up a tuxedo.

"But he'll look like a penguin…"

At the end of day, they walked out with only one item, the tuxedo, and two smiles. They drove home, and she lay on the bed tiredly.

"I'm exhausted."

"Well don't fall asleep yet," he said, opening the large box he'd brought back with him from Scandinavia.

" I want to show you something."

_Three months later…_

Empty. The house was so empty. So empty that it scared him. He had to get out, he had to get out now. Walking along the road, as few people passed. Most of them hurrying to get to shelters. Simon didn't pay attention. Something about war, or bombs. He only walked, the backpack he was carrying only slowing him down. Suddenly there came a siren, wailing its mournful call.

"Bomb alarm!" someone called out and people scrambled their way to shelters, bumping into each other and brushing past Simon, who considered himself a shell of who he once was and took no effort to escape.

_That's right. No need to take refuge, because I will save you. _ Simon jumped at the voice. He dreaded the times it spoke to him.

"Leave me alone." He mumbled, not in the mood for this.

_If it pleases you. _And the voice silenced.

And then it hit.

The explosion alone was small; it was the fire that destroyed them. The fire that he'd kept away from him. Or had he done it? The crown was on his head. How had it gotten there? He didn't remember putting it on. Strange. But he'd kept the fire off of him, somehow. His hands were cold, he looked down at them.

Snow? Where did the snow come from? How had it gotten on his hands? He looked around, there was snow everywhere.

_You did this_ the voice hissed from within his head; _I helped you succeed in extinguishing the flames_. He cried out in astonishment. He still hadn't saved the innocent people who'd been caught in the fire. He stared at the woman on the ground nearest to him. She looked a little familiar.

Pointed ears and fangs. What type of creature possessed these? He couldn't remember. But somehow he recognized her from somewhere. His memory seemed twisted and chewed up.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to the burned corpse. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I'm sorry I don't remember."

_Don't get too attached Simon. A corpse cannot hear you. _

He turned, glanced back at the woman one last time, and ran off to find shelter.

_Later….._

Simon sat on a bench. The crown beside him. Had he taken it off? He sighed, memory failing again. He saw something out of the corner of his eye and looked over.

A teddy bear. Or something of the type. It held together just barely by strings of thread. He picked it up and examined it further. Where had he seen it before? He racked his brain but couldn't remember.

"Hey!" a voice called out of nowhere. He looked around but saw no one. _Great, _he thought._ I'm hearing voices again. _He was going to examine the doll further, but then that voice came again.,

"Hey you! Put Hambo down!" a small girl floated down from the tree next to him.

_Oh!_

He remembered her. The little girl from when he'd purposed to Betty. She seemed to recognize him, the fiery anger in her eyes died down at his gaze.

"Oh. It's you." She smiled as he handed her the stuffed animal.

"Yes. It's eh, nice to see you again." He said softly, reminded of that painful night his fiancé'd left. She smiled at him.

"Where's your wife?" she asked, looking around as though Betty were right behind her. Simon cringed inwardly.

"Somewhere out there, I guess."

"oh." The little girl's face fell. "My mom too." Simon was hot with recognition. Could that lady's burning corpse have been her mother? The resemblance was uncanny.

"Your mom?" he asked.

"Yeah. My dad went back to the Nightosphere, so it's just me and Hambo now." He tried to smile.

"So were both alone, huh?" She seemed to consider this and nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she said looking up at him, "but we can be alone together."

"I'd like that." He smiled for real this time, taking her by the hand. She floated slowly up into the air, taking him with her.

"Where do you live?" she asked him suddenly after a moment of silence. Live? Where did he live? He didn't want to go back to that empty house. The thought of it alone enveloped him in darkness and sorrow. So he answered her, "Nowhere."

The little girl looked down at him surprised." Well, you can stay with me and Hambo if you want." What choice did he have?

Her name was Marceline he'd found out, and she was a vampire.

"But don't worry; I won't drink your blood." She reassured him with a smile that showed off her fangs. Simon wouldn't have minded having his blood sucked out at this moment in time. Actually, he found that she only drank the color red. He'd watched in amazement as she sucked on a strawberry and left it colorless.

"I don't have any trouble finding red anymore," she'd told him. "It's everywhere."

Marceline's father, Hunson Abadeer, returned from the Nightosphere.

"Who's this?" he'd asked her pointing at a terrified Simon, who had shortly before almost had his soul sucked out of his body if Marci hadn't stopped him.

"This is my friend." She'd said defensively.

"ah." He'd said coolly, eyeing Simon almost threateningly. But he'd left shortly after.

"You don't have to worry about my dad." She'd told him. "He doesn't come back often."

There were nights where they'd stay up late together, watching the stars as best they could through the blackened skies. There were nights where she'd wake him up afraid and crawl into bed next to him. There were the nights when he'd made his video diary entries. He thought she hadn't been listening. She watched his transformation go from being the Simon she knew to someone she hardly recognized at all, in body and mind.

Then there was that frightful day when he forgot everything. He'd woken up and cried out that this wasn't his bed, that this wasn't his _home_.

"Who are you?" he'd asked her, narrowing his eyes.

"It's me, Marceline." She told him, with a questioning glance.

"What am I doing here? I should be in my kingdom!"

"Your kingdom?" she'd asked slowly.

"Yes, the Ice Kingdom!" she'd looked him over with his beard and blue skin, he'd changed so much in the past few months.

"Why would you live in the Ice Kingdom, Simon?" she'd asked afraid for him.

"Simon? I am the Ice King! I rule over ice and snow, the frost that governs is the frost that saves." He looked at her. "You could come with me if you'd like. The Ice Kingdom could always use more residents." She shook her head slowly, confused and afraid. He shrugged. "Ah, well suit yourself. I have a kingdom to rule and a bride to find." He'd nodded in parting and left her little house.

Marceline sat alone on the front steps. Hambo was her only friend now. Nobody else mattered. Not her dad, not that strange boy and his dog who'd gone through the cellar door only moments before, not even Simon mattered anymore. She knew it wasn't his fault. It was that stupid crown. That stupid crown had ruined his life. It had drove off his fiancé, driven off his sanity and just messed everything up. Marceline sighed, everyone she loved always left. She remembered the first time he'd called her Marci. It had reminded her of her mother.

That stupid crown had gotten rid of her only friend.

_In the Ice Kingdom….._

The Ice King paced across his new castle floor. He paced so much a rut was beginning to form beneath him. He was missing something. He couldn't figure out what, though. If only he could put a finger on it. He sat down on his newly made ice thrown and stroked his beard thoughtfully. It was awfully quiet. Then it hit him: loneliness. He was missing companionship. There weren't many creatures inhabiting the Ice Kingdom though. He looked outside his window and saw down below a small penguin waddling around. He smiled and brought the black and white creature inside.

"Hmmm…. What should I call you?" he asked, circling around the flightless bird. He giggled to himself, the animal appeared to be wearing a tuxedo. Something flashed through his mind, a memory that had been buried long ago. A woman's voice, a tuxedo…

"I think I'll call you…Gunther."

"wenk." Gunter said monotonously in a somewhat approving manor.

Years went by, and despite having many Gunther's around, The Ice King was still filled with loneliness. He needed a real companion and not just a pet. He decided to go out for a walk. He trudged over ice and snow until he came across a family picnicking in a soft green meadow. The family all wore crowns, and consisted of a father, a mother, and a young child. They all seemed to be made of…bubblegum. The father of the group looked up and noticed Ice King.

"Hello there." He called. Ice King's eyes widened.

"Eh…hello." He called back unsurely.

"Would you care to join us?" he asked politely. The Ice King considered it for a moment. Wasn't companionship what he'd wanted? But something within him decided against it. The little girl was smiling at him. He'd never forget that smile. But he couldn't bring himself to join them. He felt out of place, cold, unwanted, unloved. These weren't the people he was looking for.

"No thanks," he answered meekly. "I'm looking for…someone." He didn't know _who_ exactly. He racked his memory, trying to find someone, an image to put to the longing he felt.

_Oh!_

That little vampire girl! The one he'd met when he'd first woken up. That was as far as his memory served. He tried to remember the path he'd taken to leave there. He retraced his steps carefully, but when he came to were the small house was supposed to be, there were only cinders in its place. The building had burnt down.

Suddenly, memories flooded back to him, memories of her, Marceline! All the nights they'd stayed up laughing, all the times she played sweet melodies for him on her bass guitar. The Ice King cried out, searching franticly through the remains of the house, throughout the bushes and trees nearby. He even ventured into the remains of a once busy city, it too had burned long ago. But he never found her. He searched through forests, and up along hills but there wasn't a trace. No matter how much he called out her name nobody but the wind was around to hear it.

At one point in his journey, he came across an abandoned witch's lab. He went through cabinets and pocketed a few handy potions, and found a sweet pair of nunchucks. He whistled poorly as he waltzed through the old lab as casually as if it were a shopping mall. Then he saw something that caused him to do a double take.

There, sitting nonchalantly on a desk top was Hambo, long limbs splayed around him. Ice King bent over and gently picked him up. What was Hambo doing in an old witch's lab? Well, whatever the reason, he'd be coming home with Ice King. Maybe Hambo would be enough of her presence to keep him happy.

A few more years passed, and Ice King found that Hambo did not make him happy. He remembered the family he'd seen in that meadow years ago. What was it that had made them so happy? That man, the father had looked happiest at the time. Perhaps what he needed was a wife. Yes, that was it, he'd have a wife and they'd have children, and he'd be happy. But first he needed a bride.

"I need to get married." He said aloud to himself, just to hear it. But the moment he did, another memory flashed through his mind

…_my princess…will you marry me? _

"I need to marry a princess…" he murmured, and turned to fly out the window and find himself a princess.

_Five years later…_

"Ice King, don't you ever get tired of this?" Princess Bubblegum asked him, irritated with his constant kidnapping.

"Heck no. this makes me…happy." He answered, a bit hesitant on the last word. She caught it but didn't say anything more.

"Finn and Jake will be here soon." She said

" I know. They always are." No sooner had he said that, when said heroes burst through the window.

"Ice King!" Finn cried bravely, holding up a fist raised in righteous anger. "Unhand the princess!" PB smiled at Finn, that smile she'd given Ice King all those years ago, the smile he'd told himself he'd never forget. It angered him.

"Fools!" he cried with a laugh. "You may have beaten me every other time. but _this_ time I've—" he was interrupted when Jake's fist came ramming into his head, knocking off his crown and sending the Ice King flying backwards onto the table that Hambo sat on, collecting dust.

Finn helped PB out of the cage, as Jake picked up Hambo.

"Hey Finn?"

"Yeah?" Finn replied trying to pick the cage lock.

"Isn't this Marceline's Hambo doll?" Finn looked up from opening the cage door.

"Yeah bro, it is!" they thought for a moment.

"Didn't Ash sell it to a witch? Why does Ice King have it?"

"You two should return it to her immediately. She must miss him horribly." Bubblegum said.

"You're not coming with us?" Finn inquired.

"No. I don't think she wants to… see me yet."

"Alright. We'll lend you a ride home." Jake said, stretching so they could fit on his back. Finn took the doll in his hands and they were almost out the window when Ice King began shouting at them.

"Wait!" he cried. "Wait!" Finn sighed.

"Waddya want Ice King?"

"Where do you think you're going with _my_ Hambo?" all three of them turned to gape at him.

"Your Hambo?" the Princess cried incredulously.

"Yes, my Hambo!"

"No way bubble butt!" Jake called. "This here Hambo belongs to Marceline!" Ice King's eyes widened.

"Marceline?" he whispered.

"Yeah stupid. Queen of the vampires."

"Take me to her." He whispered, "Please."

"Why?" Finn asked suspiciously. Ice King closed his eyes.

"I've been searching for her for almost a thousand years." He whispered almost pleadingly. "Please," he begged quietly. "Take me to her." The three huddled in a circle to discuss whether or not they should take him to the Vampire Queen. After a few moments of decisive whispering, they turned to him.

"Alright Ice King, we'll take you to see Marceline. Mostly because if you try anything she'll squish you like a grape." They watched as he danced around excitedly, took Hambo from Finn's arms, and hopped on Jake's back.

"Let's go!" he cried. "No time to waste, I ain't getting any younger ya know."

"Wenk." Gunther agreed sarcastically.

_At Marceline's house…._

"Yo Marci!" Jake called as he knocked on the door.

"Hey guys, Watsup?" she asked as she opened the door to them. Ice King did a double take. She was so….grown up.

"Well, Ice King had your Hambo and said that it was his." She seemed to freeze.

"Ice King?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, he had your—"

"Where is he?" she cried. Finn handed her the doll.

"No, stupid! Where's the _Ice King_?"

"Up on Jake's back. Why, does he owe you money or something?" she ignored him and flew slowly up to the figure sitting on Jake's back.

The two seemed to study each other for moments that seemed like eons. She ran one hand down the side of his face.

"Simon?" He nodded slightly.

"Marci." He breathed softly, placing his own hand over hers.

She cried out in joy, wrapping her arms around him, as he returned her hug. The two adventurers below stared up in confusion as they held each other. "What's she doing? Crushing him with her arms?" Finn asked.

"I think she's hugging him dude."

"What? Why?" Jake shrugged.

"I dunno. Pretty outta character though for those two."

"You can say that again." They looked on in wonder as Hambo fell from Marceline's arms.

_I finally found my_ only _friend_.

_I finally found my princess. Now I can be happy_.

And they went on to be happy together, just as they were before the war.

Holy cow you guys. I am the slowest typer you will ever meet in your whole life, I've been writing this off and on since December! This whole story was crazy. The fact that Marceline and Ice King even lived on the same continent, not to mention time period was crazy. I thought it might be interesting though, what did you think? R&R and let me know.

I think I spelled Marci's dad's name wrong. Actually, there's probably a lot of inaccurate stuff in here. BTW this isn't, like, romance or anything. More of a 'father-daughter' relationship.


	2. Chapter 2

**I know what I said before. About the oneshot thing…But "I Remember You" came out…and well, I just couldn't help it! So here ya go.**

_This magic keeps me alive_

_But it's making me crazy_

_And I need to save you_

_But who's going to save me?_

_Please forgive me for whatever I do_

_When I don't remember you_

"Simon!" Marceline called, running up to him giddily, Hambo in tow. He turned from his makeshift desk to smile at her.

"Hey Marci, what's up?" She giggled excitedly and pointed up into the sky.

"It's snowing!" she laughed. Simon frowned. He despised the snow. She saw his derided look and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? You don't like the snow?"

_Yes Simon, don't you like the snow?_

He shook his head to clear it of the poisonous voice and refocused his attention on the little girl.

"I just…don't like the cold is all." She looked at him thoughtfully.

"I don't really remember what the cold is like." She stated. "It's been a long time…" her voice trailed off. She shook her head and smiled at him. "But we can still have fun, right?" He couldn't help but grin, in spite of himself.

"Sure. We'll have snowball fights and build snowmen," he rambled, picking her up as they watched the snow fall.

"And we can make snow angels!" she chided. He laughed setting her down.

"Why make snow angels when I've got a real live angel right here?" she giggled and hit him on the arm. She ran off to collect what little had descended to the ground and began building a lopsided snowman with three stick arms and seven little rocks for eyes.

"…and he'll have a wife and two kids and cat with four tails!" she called excitedly. His sad smile soon grew to a frown as he watched her romp about. The crown sat a few feet away, inside his ever widening pack. He wondered what connection it had to the snowfall. He wondered when he'd lose himself all together.

_Someday soon_. It called out to him. _Someday soon you'll be mine_. He turned away from the crown, away from the light of his life, a little girl playing the snow. He went back to his makeshift desk.

_This magic keeps me alive_

_But it's making me crazy_

_And I need to save you_

_But who's going to save me?_

_Please forgive me for whatever I do_

_When I don't remember you_


End file.
